


One True Alpha

by PandoraButler



Series: Time Traveling Vincent [2]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Castlevania AU, Kuroshitsuji - Freeform, M/M, Slight Omegaverse, Trans!Grell, Vampires, time traveler!vincent, trans!angelina, trans!madame red, undertaker x vincent, vincent x undertaker, vintaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26334262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoraButler/pseuds/PandoraButler
Summary: Adrian Crevan inherits the name Vlad Dracula.
Relationships: Vincent Phantomhive & Undertaker, Vincent Phantomhive/Undertaker
Series: Time Traveling Vincent [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982905
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

Vincent woke up in a place he didn't recognize. The air was strange and he could feel dried blood on the back of his head. Was this an eternal fog? Why was the moon so full? What time period was this? Did he get sucked into a fantasy novel? Ugh. His head hurt so much. What was the last thing he could remember? Something, something, nope. Not really anything. He moved his hands along the ground, searching for his journal (or, more accurately, one of his journals). 

"Damnit! Not again!" he growled, continuing to search. "Did I lose it already? If only I knew what was causing these instant travel sessions-" he grumbled and stood up, only to trip over his feet and collide face-first with a tall eerie gate. It creaked open, inviting him in, and this was when he decided not to care about survival anymore. Yep. Right in this moment. Dying in a mysterious castle of sorts would be much better than at the hands of a pack of wolves. Not that there had been any wolves yet but he could hear them in the distance.

Vincent walked up the long path leading him through the garden and opened the door. "Hello?" he called. Stone walls and a hefty breeze. He really was in some type of novel. "Hello? Pardon the intrusion..." he said a bit louder, closing the door behind him. "I don't really have a place to go and it's gotten pretty late..." he looked down at his muddied clothing and sighed. "Or, at least, I think it has? The moon is pretty high in the sky so..." his mind wandered as he tried to piece together more of what happened before he woke up in that woods. What did he hit his head on? A rock? Was he still bleeding? He frowned and rubbed the back of his head. No. Actually. Maybe he shouldn't do that. His hands were dirty. He would just get dirt in the wound. 

"A human?" a voice inquired. Vincent looked around and squinted but he couldn't see a thing. He could hear faint footsteps and could see the dim light of a candle around the corner. "You should leave," he warned. 

"I don't have anywhere to be. I'm really sorry about this but could you at least let me stay the night? I'll be out of your hair in the mor-" Vincent's eyes lost focus. Ah. There it is. His head wound wouldn't let him power through it any longer. 

"You smell of blood," the voice spoke. Vincent felt himself falling forward but a cold chest caught him. Cold? Well, it was pretty drafty in this place. Of course it was cold. Nothing to be afraid of. Just a nice cold chest and a creepy castle thing. Yep. He was fine. This was safe. 

"I'm really sorry about this..." Vincent muttered, closing his eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

Vincent's eyes fluttered open but there was no light in this place. He turned his head towards the window but still nothing. He groaned, sitting up, and felt the back of his head. Bandages? Then that stranger must've helped him after all...

He looked down at his body which was fully exposed and briefly wondered where his clothes had gone. The door creaked open and a tray of miscellaneous items was pushed in. "I'm not certain what your kind eats so I just guessed..." the soft voice from before. Why was he always hiding behind things? 

"Thank you very much," Vincent replied. He stood up, barely able to stand, and went to the door. He shivered from the cold air and stared at the food or whatever it was. Some of it edible and other parts extremely not. "I suppose I can't complain since I am being a bit of a nuisance by just appearing out of nowhere. But, if it isn't too much trouble could you please tell me where I am?" 

"I apologize but I cannot allow you to know the location of this place. Once you leave you could bring others back and that could be fairly troublesome for me." Troublesome? In what way? You live in a giant castle in the middle of nowhere? Isn't that a bit of a statement? How has no one found this place yet? Or, was he planning on drugging him and dragging him out, leaving Vincent in the closest village? 

"If it was that much trouble why didn't you just kill me outright?" Vincent placed his hand on the door and opened it a bit. He could see the glow of two shining eyes and nothing more. Such a lovely shade of yellow and green. He gripped the side of the door tightly as his vision lost focus once again. The back of his head must be more of an issue than he thought. Could he be seeing things? He shivered again. Maybe he just lost too much blood. 

"You're cold?" 

"Yes and no, I think I might be getting a fever..." Vincent coughed. "When I asked where I was I meant the time period...not the location...if you could give me some context I can..." Vincent shook his head and coughed again his body shook terribly. He already had a vague idea of where he was...in the time of mystics and ghosts. There would be no modern medicine to help him. He could really die this time. 

"Here," the shadowy figure reached out a hand and resting in his palm was a small vial of red liquid. It looked everything like what Vincent believed to be a healing potion. His fingers were long and delicate with nails sharp and black. Vincent moved to grab it but lost his balance. The stranger caught him, pulling his head back by gently pulling his hair, he opened the vial and poured it into Vincent's mouth. Some of it trailed down his neck and he coughed. It tasted quite foul. But, at the same time, it filled him up with warmth too. The taste was soon forgotten due to the niceness of the warmth welling up in his chest. 

The pain on the back of his head quickly went away. He didn't feel the lingering effects of a fever either. "Thank you?" he said, a bit confused. He couldn't see the stranger clearly but his eyes still glowed in the darkness. His touch was gentle despite being such a standoffish creature and Vincent felt as if he could trust him. 

"My name is Vincent, by the way," he introduced himself. He forgot about the closeness of the two and didn't want the stranger to leave so he ignored it further. He also conveniently ignored the fact he was still naked. Might as well put off the embarrassment a bit longer. The stranger, on the other hand, pushed him away. 

"Dracula," he replied. Dracula? Really? As in _that_ Dracula? From the novel? Good God, where did Vincent end up? 

"Is that really your name?" 

"It's more of a title, an inheritance, my actual name is something I cannot disclose to a stranger."

"Oh? So 'Dracula' is like 'King'?" Vincent grinned. "Well then, Milord, I appreciate your kindness to a stranger." 

"Think nothing of it," and he departed just as he came. 

Vincent wrapped himself in a sheet and wandered the halls of this place. There were so many dismal paintings and other things. He could barely see two feet in front of him but he could smell the dried paint of a portrait anywhere. He found a candle, at last, and tried desperately to light it. After much trial and error, he could see a bit more than before. 

He held the candlestick out and stared up at the portraits. Each one was of a different person but they all had the same defining traits. White hair. Red eyes. Except for the last one at the end of the hall. This man's hair was a shade of grey, silver maybe? And his eyes were the yellow-green Vincent had seen before. The label on the bottom read: Vlad Dracula II. The others had all been 'Dracula the III' or something like that...but this one was Vlad? That had to mean something. Was he an illegitimate child? A fake somehow? 

Vincent wandered a bit more until he found a library. So many books and so little time. He picked one up but it was in a language he didn't understand. How was he able to communicate with Dracula if they didn't speak the same tongue? Or, maybe there was another bit of magic involved. "I'm going to have to learn the language..." Vincent sighed. He had a multitude of languages under his belt but he'd never found something with this strange of an alphabet before. 

"I'm so glad he has books. Books should be something too expensive for the common folk in this time...from what I've gathered..." Vincent felt the pages delicately with his hand. This wasn't your typical paper. It felt as if it was made out of something alive. Skin? 

"What are you doing?" Dracula's voice. Vincent turned around. 

"I'm the curious type," Vincent laughed a bit. "I've been looking for books and I found them but I can't read them..." He closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. 

"You know what these are?" Dracula's eyebrows furrowed. The light of the moon was shining in through the window. This was the first time Vincent could see his face fully. Even then, he couldn't see all of it. Long bangs covered his eyes. He was dressed in black as if in permanent mourning. 

"Is it that surprising?" Vincent ran his hand down the spines of various books. 

"Humans shouldn't have these..." 

"I'm sure that the poor ones don't but the rich always have a way of getting what they want." Vincent sighed and sat down in the chair by the desk closest to the window. He stared out at the forest still shrouded in fog. Was it always night here? "Say, you aren't human, are you? So...what are you then? Are you a vampire?" 

"Why would I answer that?" 

"That's true, you don't really have a reason to," Vincent shrugged and stood up again. He opened and closed books until he found one closest to his spoken tongue. So, it wasn't magic. The magic here was that he knew the language. Now it was just a matter of particulars. "Hey, Milord," Vincent smiled, closing the book. "What do you say we have a bit of a trade?" 

"A trade?" Dracula scoffed. "You have nothing to offer me." 

"I'll tell you about the future and you can teach me about the past," Vincent grinned. 


	3. Chapter 3

"The future? What nonsense do you speak?" he frowned. 

"Oh? So you can be a weird mystical creature without giving me any indication that you're human but me knowing things outside of this time is the strange thing?" Vincent laughed a bit. 

"You're...odd." 

"I suppose," Vincent smiled, leaning his back up against the window. "I really just want to know what you know, and maybe tell you a bit of what I know." 

"I let you stay here and treated you," he crossed his arms and stared into Vincent's eyes without giving anything away. "I don't owe you information." 

"Ah, true," Vincent shrugged and shook his head slightly. "I suppose I could just give you some then but it'll be hard without a baseline." 

He walked forward and sniffed Vincent's hair. He stared at him and sniffed again, getting even more confused as the time passed. "I've thought it strange but you don't smell like the other humans." 

"Oh? What do humans smell like?" Vincent tried to sniff himself but he couldn't distinguish anything. 

"Foul," he muttered, pressing his nose lightly into Vincent's hair. "You smell, oddly sweet," his eyes glistened in the light from the moon as he moved his mouth down to Vincent's neck. He sniffed him again and rested his lips against his skin, opening his mouth slightly for the tips of his fangs to gently graze his neck. 

"So, you are a vampire?" Vincent's voice startled him and he stood up straight and moved back quickly. He'd forgotten about the door being closed and bumped into it, wincing slightly. 

"Apologies," he appeared flustered, in a sense, and rested his head in his hand. 

"You don't seem like you interact with humans often," Vincent walked towards him and looked at his face, trying to get a good read on him. "That must mean you don't have to drink blood to stay alive. When was the last time you had blood? Do you want to drink my blood? What will happen if you do drink my blood? Will I become a vampire? You're the king of vampires right, Milord?" Vincent's eyes lit up with curiosity as he kept asking questions. 

He placed a hand over Vincent's mouth to stop him from rambling further. Then, he immediately removed it, as if disappointed in himself for touching Vincent. He tried to back up further into the door but that only made Vincent want to get closer to him. "I- uh, I-" he scrambled to find words but realized that ultimately it didn't matter what he said. Vincent was going to snoop around for information on him regardless. He'd already started doing that. 

"I don't need to drink blood, no," he forced out. "S-some humans turned vampires need to but most vampires don't-" he gently pressed his hands on Vincent's chest, trying to force him away. "Drinking blood among vampires is a more intimate situation. Especially vampire to vampire." 

"Is that why you're so flustered?" Vincent chuckled. "Tell me more about your vampire culture." 

"You're shaking," he looked down at his hands on Vincent's bare chest. There was still just a sheet wrapped around him. 

"I'm not shaking because I'm scared," Vincent corrected. "I'm cold." 

"But, you're warm?" he frowned. 

"I'm still living, so yes, I'm warm," Vincent snickered. "But, I'm cold so my body is shivering. It's a thing humans do to try and create energy and warm ourselves up but I've never found it very useful."

"Come with me," the vampire grabbed Vincent's hand and dragged him down the long hallways in the dark. Vincent tried his best to focus his eyes but he couldn't see anything no matter how hard he tried. Candles lit themselves when they entered a bedroom. Vincent looked around, mystified by it, and watched the vampire open his closet. He moved through the items one by one and frowned. 

"Here," he finally stated, handing Vincent some clothes. He allowed the sheet to fall and quickly put them on. 

"Thank you very much, Milord." 

"Don't call me that," he requested. 

"I don't have anything else to call you and quite frankly I will never call you 'Dracula'" Vincent shuddered, remembering the book. The name didn't do this vampire justice. 

"Well, I suppose since it's just us," he looked around as if deciding, and then finally looked at Vincent. "My name is Adrian Crevan, or at least, it was." 

"Crevan? Oh, that reminds me, why are you 'Vlad'? All of the other portraits just say 'Dracula'" Vincent's curiosity got the better of him again. Adrian tensed. 

"It's..." he paused, growing even tenser by the moment. "Because I was given this role by the previous Dracula and am not very well accepted as Dracula yet. There is a collection of vampires trying to overthrow me at the moment since one of them looks very similar to the first Vlad, Vlad Dracula Tepes. He was something of a legend and I'm not living up to the name or even the other name I share with the Alucard...I'm actually quite the failure..." he muttered, moving to the bed to sit down. He rested his head in his hands. "They're also wondering if I'm even an alpha since I haven't taken a mate or used any of my abilities since gaining the title and now I'm a hermit and avoiding the whole situation entirely...I don't know why I was given this position..." 

"Vlad Dracula Tepes? Alucard? Alpha?" Vincent sat down next to Adrian and stared at the candles on the wall. His mind wandered and then he stood up. "Holy shit this is the plot to Castlevania _and_ I'm stuck in the omegaverse too?!" he gasped. "Wait, so if I'm stuck in some vampire omegaverse what does that make me?" he muttered, walking around in a circle with his hand on his chin. "I'm not a vampire so I don't have a role...do I? I don't think so. But then again, he did say I smell and that seems like a very omagaverse thing...am I an omega? Or something entirely different?" 

"Uhm-" 

"Being a vampire wouldn't be very practical if I'm constantly traveling so maybe I'm not a vampire and have no role entirely in this. I still have to figure out what the source of my traveling is and-" 

"Vincent!" 

Vincent stopped and stared at the newbie vampire overlord. "What?" 

"I don't understand what you're saying but I don't think it's a good idea for you to get so excited. You're still healing even if I fixed your physical wounds..." 

"Oh, that reminds me!" 

"What?" 

"Will you teach me if I teach you? You said no before but..." 

"Are you going to keep asking me?" 

"Yes." 

"Then I guess I don't really have a choice..." 


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't really understand what you're telling me," Adrian stared at Vincent and then looked down again at his drawings. 

"It's a bit hard to explain to someone that hasn't seen it before," Vincent laughed slightly and tried drawing a different image. "Where I come from, there are really tall buildings that contain mostly windows. I live in the city in a small apartment." 

"Is it like a castle?" 

"No, not quite." 

"I don't think I'll ever understand a single thing you've explained to me these past few weeks," Adrian sighed, resting his head on the table and looking up at Vincent's face. 

"That's okay." 

Adrian stood up abruptly and went over to the window. He stared down out into the unknown and then turned back to look at Vincent. "He is coming." 

"Who is coming?" 

"The one trying to overthrow me..." Adrian looked back outside. 

"What are you going to do about it? Do you think you can take him?" 

"He has an army of followers and I just have myself." 

"You're a vampire overlord, don't you have some sort of skills you can use?" 

"I'm not very-" 

"Hm," Vincent stood up and looked out the window next to Adrian. "You don't have to fight them, just make them think that they'll lose if they pick a fight with you. You're Dracula, not them, so they must expect you to have some sort of power." 

"I am not fit for this role. How am I supposed to convince them that I am?" 

Vincent closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in. When he opened his eyes he stared at Adrian with such contempt as he had never seen before. "Kneel." His voice ordered, demanding the action and threatening great punishment otherwise. Adrian instantly knelt to the ground without thinking to ask questions. When he realized what he'd done he stared up at Vincent, confused. 

"How did you do that?" 

Vincent's expression softened. "Years and years of practice in unknown places." 

"How do I learn how to do that in the few minutes we have before they get closer?" Adrian sat up a bit and stared out the window again. 

"Aren't you an alpha?" 

"Technically I am the One True Alpha," Adrian replied. 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means my aura should be much stronger than a normal vampire's because I have been granted the title of Dracula." 

"So, you should be able to manage if we practice a little bit in these few moments." 

"Do you really think so?" Adrian stared up at Vincent, trying not to get his hopes up. 

"We shall see." 

...

"This imposter Dracula is hiding in his castle without a care in the world! He is weak!" Sebastian yelled out for his crowd of minions, trying to boost their morale. "I am the true Vlad Dracula II. Tonight we shall prove that!" He placed his hand on his chest and smirked. Everything was going according to plan. There was no way this vampire from low standing was the real ruler. The previous Dracula would never choose someone that shared the same name as the Alucard. Absolutely not. It was unheard of. He wouldn't accept it. No matter what. 

"Come out of hiding, coward!" Sebastian turned to shout at the castle. The gates opened first, followed by the giant doors. Fog swirled around and lifted. There were whispers among the crowd, some started to fear for their undead lives. Others said it must be their imagination, that nothing was really there in those shadows, that the laughter they were hearing was just in their heads. They kept telling themselves that until the laughs grew louder and louder, finally stopping as a figure emerged completely. A male with silver hair and a cloak trailing behind him. 

"You mean to call me a coward?" he snickered and placed his hand on his chest. "Me? When you are the one that cannot come and discuss your trifling matters alone? You needed in army? Dear Sebastian, were you that afraid for your life?" 

Sebastian didn't take the bait. He simply pointed at Adrian and announced his intentions. "I am here to take your position." 

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Adrian folded his hands and smiled, tilting his head slightly. "You have three minutes to leave." 

"Do you not realize the position you're in?" Sebastian scoffed. 

"No, dear Sebastian, I believe it is you who does not realize the position you're in," Adrian pointed his long black nail at Sebastian and took a step forward. He ran his free hand through his hair and allowed his eyes to stare into Sebastian's. With each step forward Sebastian seemed to shrink further and further into himself. Sebastian had started this rebellion believing Adrian was a pushover, easy to overthrow, and it was time to correct that assumption. 

Adrian pressed his finger on Sebastian's forehead and all kindness in his eyes was lost. "Do you really believe that I would hide in my castle without gaining reinforcements if I thought you to be a real threat to me?" he asked, removing his finger. The instant the tip of his nail left Sebastian's skin entirely his aura intensified, causing Sebastian to wobble slightly. He remained standing regardless, fighting back with his own aura. 

"Look," Adrian grabbed Sebastian's chin and forcefully turned his head behind him to gaze back at his troops. Each vampire kneeling and staring at the ground, unable to stand up. Each one having lost their will to fight. The thousands of them, just sitting patiently, waiting to be freed from Adrian's aura and have permission go back home. 

"Do not mock me again, Sebastian Michaelis. I will not be so patient with you next time," Adrian's nails dug into his skin as he growled into Sebastian's ear. He let go, allowing him to fall to the ground, and turned on his heel to retreat back into the castle. When the doors closed he leaned up against them and let out a long sigh, falling to the ground. 

"Did I do okay?" he asked, staring up at Vincent who had been watching the scene from the window next to the door. 

Vincent looked down at him and gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah, that was hot," he confessed and then instantly regretted it. "I mean, uhm, you did great." 

"How can I be hot? I'm always cold to the touch..." Adrian stared down at his arms, feeling them. 

"Forget I said that," Vincent laughed awkwardly. 


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a few weeks since the incident with Sebastian. In the meantime, Adrian and Vincent had only grown closer to each other. Learning and teaching one another about various things from each individual's life. Vincent found Adrian highly attractive and this thought never faded. He didn't know much about what Adrian thought of him, but he decided it didn't matter.

"I never expected vampire on my list of tastes," Vincent muttered, putting a book back on the shelf. "Werewolves? Maybe. Mermaids? Sure. Weird sea creature with tentacles? Possibly. Vampires? Never would've expected that."

"Never would've expected what?"

Vincent nearly jumped out of his human flesh sack and turned around. "That's a very good question. I was just, uh...ignore that," he laughed, trying to wave it off as something trivial.

"Are you still thinking about the Sebastian thing?" Adrian leaned up against a bookshelf and folded his arms.

"Sure, let's go with that."

"Darling!~" a voice hummed from the entrance to the castle. Adrian visibly tensed and moved to hide behind the bookshelf. He looked over the books to check the door as footsteps drew nearer. 

"Oh no," Adrian muttered, grabbing Vincent's hand and pulling him close to his chest, covering his mouth with his other hand.

"I have a long list of candidates for you!~" the door was kicked open and a redhead stood in the doorway with a stack of papers and files.

Vincent tried his best not to think about the close proximity to Adrian. His mind wandered off into the distance. Think pure thoughts. Start meditating. You are an angel, Vincent. An angel. A pure being.

"I know you're in here. I can smell you and- is that a human?" the redhead turned the corner and frowned.

"Hi, Angel," Adrian laughed awkwardly and thrust Vincent behind him to stand in front of him. "What brings you here?"

"I believe I just shouted what brought me here as I kicked your door open. Who is this?"

"Vincent, this is Angel. He is my...uhm..."

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'friend'" he frowned and pushed Adrian aside to stare at Vincent. "Why don't you smell foul?" he frowned, crossing his arms. Vincent scratched the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact at all costs, and feeling terribly awkward.

"I like your..." Vincent eyed him up and down trying to think of something but the thing that stood out the most was the corset-looking type vest that matched his hair. "Vest."

"Oh? Do you really?" he squealed and brought his hands to his face, swinging his entire body side to side, thrilled for the compliment. "My mate made it. Isn't it a dream? She is so supportive of my..." he stopped and looked around, looking ashamed in a sense.

"Angel! My star-crossed friend! Have you-" a different redhead walked into the room but froze and pointed at Vincent. "Who is this?"

"Vincent, this is Grell, she is my...," Adrian gestured, still at a loss for words.

" **Friend**." Angel and Grell both frowned and enunciated the word for Adrian to get it through his brain. Each one grabbed one of Adrian's arms and sat him down in a chair before the papers. "We will ignore the human situation for now but you have to pick a mate," each one crossed their arms and nodded in sync. Vincent followed and leaned over Adrian's shoulder to look at the pictures. Pictures? Wasn't that a bit too modern? How far advanced was vampire culture compared to humans?

"Do you have a printing press?" Vincent asked, taking a shot in the dark. The two redheads stared at each other and then back to Vincent.

"How do you know what that is? All of the books in here are transcribed," Angel pointed at Vincent, curiosity peaked.

"These images are hand-drawn but the text is..." Vincent picked up one of the pages and stared at it. "No," he squinted, lifting it up closer to his face, "you have typewriters too?"

Adrian smirked at his friends' shocked faces. "See? My human is smart," he smiled and crossed his arms.

"Oh?" Vincent chuckled. "Am I 'your human' now?"

Adrian's face flushed as much as a vampire's could and he looked at his hands. "Uhm, no, I didn't mean it like that..."

"Oooooh," Grell smirked, elbowing Angel. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"I hope to Ancient Dracula that you are not," Angel brought his hand to his forehead. "The current Dracula having a human as a mate is a bad omen...especially considering the last time a Vlad had a human mate..."

"That's old news," Grell waved her hand. "This is different. Besides, do you really think this little idiot would have it in him to ruin the world?" Grell grabbed Adrian's cheeks.

"We're talking about the same vampire that wanted to raise a corpse from the dead to re-live that human mysticism the first Vlad used, right?" Angel raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot about that..." Grell flinched.

Vincent laughed. "I can see him doing that," he snickered, trying to hold back his laughter, and the two redheads stared at him, even more confused.

"How do you know what we're talking about?" Angel's eyebrows furrowed.

"Long story short: I watch a lot of Netflix," Vincent shrugged.

"What is a Net-Flex?" Grell tilted her head, bewildered.

Vincent had neither the words nor the desire to try and explain to these two vampires what Netflix was. He placed his hands on Adrian's shoulders and pointed to the papers. "So, about these mate options, does anyone catch your eye?"

"I don't want a mate..." Adrian huffed.

"Why?"

"Too much work," he puffed out his cheeks. "I can barely manage myself. I don't want a mate or a family. Besides, Dracula isn't a bloodline. Even if I had a child, it wouldn't be my heir."

"But if you had a mate that was from a well-respected background it would help squander those rumors going around about how awful you are."

Grell clapped her hands together. "He gets it," she grinned.

"But I'd rather have a mate that I love..."

Angel sighed, "He doesn't get it."

"Do you have a type?" Vincent sat down at the table and started looking through papers, ignoring the remark.

"Intelligent, slightly shorter, clean-cut hair," Adrian rested his chin on his hand and leaned up against the table, staring at Vincent. "A beauty-mark," he muttered.

"I can't be your mate," Vincent didn't look up when he said this. It was just matter-of-fact. "I'm not a vampire. No one knows who I am. And, most importantly..." he paused, lifting his hand to the back of his head. A sharp pain traveled through his spine and his vision blurred. Memories started to drift back more completely as he remembered what caused him to be sent here. "Most importantly...I don't know when I'll be leaving..." he muttered, falling forward into the table and losing consciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

_I love you._

_That was the first time._

_I love you._

_That was the second._

_I love you._

_That was the third._

_I love you._

_That was the fourth._

_I love you._

_Over and over was that the pattern? He could fall in love but never reach it? Vincent held out his hand, trying to grab the image of Adrian here now._

_I-_

Vincent opened his eyes to see his hand up in the air, grabbed by Adrian. "Are you okay?" he stared down, concerned. Vincent blinked and focused his eyes. Angel and Grell stood on the other side of the bed. They've known him for five minutes but the genuine concern on their faces was refreshing.

"I'm..." Vincent sat up and his vision blurred again. Adrian caught him before he fell to the side.

"Have you been feeding him? Taking him out for walks? Giving him his daily dose of sunshine?" Grell snapped, crossing her arms.

"Ah!" Adrian realized his mistake. He still didn't know what humans ate and he'd forgotten all about trying to get regular food for him.

"I can't believe you want a human as a mate and you don't even know how to feed him properly," Angel let out a long sigh. "Come along, Grell, we have to go to the nearest human village and pick up some things..." he grabbed Grell's arm and dragged her out.

"You didn't have to make such a big fuss," Vincent smiled. "You should be picking out your mate..."

"I don't want a mate," Adrian insisted. He clung to Vincent's hand.

"You can't hide away in your big scary castle forever. You've got to talk to your people at some point."

"Do you not..." Adrian let go of Vincent's hand to fold his own. "Do you not care for me? Have I been mistaken in thinking we've gotten close?"

Vincent should tell him he didn't care for him. That would be the easiest way out of this. But, when he opened his mouth different words threatened to escape. "I lo-" his eyes widened and he slammed his hand over his mouth, tears formed and fell. The agony of wanting more time with him but not being able to tell him he felt the same. It was eating away at him. That's what caused his sickness.

"What's wrong?" Adrian waved his hands about, wondering if it was his question that made him cry.

"We've gotten close," Vincent smiled as he cried. "But I'm still a human. I'll still die sooner than you. And you still need to settle the minds of rebellious vampires. Sebastian can't be the only one against you."

"But I-"

"Do you even know what happens if a vampire has a human as a mate?" Vincent cut him off. "Humans are food for you, no matter how you slice it, and they smell bad too. Grell and Angel might think I smell sweet like you do but what about the rest of them? You can't have a smelly human beside your throne."

"I don't care about that."

"You should."

"I don't." Adrian climbed onto the bed and gently pushed Vincent down. He hovered above him as his long hair surrounded Vincent's face like a curtain. He stared into Adrian's wonderful eyes. "I want you. I like you. I care about you. I don't want someone else. I love _you_. Tell me if you really don't feel the same. I won't bring it up again. But look me in my eyes and tell me." He leaned down so their faces were closer together.

"I can't..." Vincent felt his own heartbreak into two. "I can't tell you how I feel."

"What?" Adrian's pained expression smashed the remaining pieces of Vincent's heart. "Do you really not care?" his voice cracked. "Just tell it to me plainly if you love me or not. I can't understand unless you say it!" Adrian grabbed Vincent's shoulders, his nails digging into them as he shook him lightly.

"I can't!" Vincent's eyes could no longer shed tears.

"Why can't you?" Adrian asked but then immediately refused to listen. "No, nevermind, it doesn't matter," he stood up and moved to the door. "I'll keep my word. I won't bring up the subject again," he said, closing the door behind him.

"That's good, right?" Vincent wiped his eyes. "Now you can move on with your life and I'll just disappear again..." his voice cracked and he continued to wipe his eyes with the backs of his hands. "I should go..." Vincent stood up and wobbled to the window. He opened it and a cold gust of wind hit him hard. It wasn't very high up and there was something of a railing to grab onto. He held onto it and manuevered himself over the side. He jumped down and started walking. He left the castle, the gate, the vampire and started walking. Through the woods to find whatever humans were closest. But, he never made it that far.

"I knew there was something behind that performance," a smooth voice and a pale hand grabbed Vincent from behind, covering his mouth. "You're human..." he frowned. The blackness of his hair was enough. Vincent knew this was Sebastian. "You smell...sweet?" his eyebrows furrowed as his nails dug into the side of Vincent's face, making him bleed. Sebastian licked the blood, making Vincent cringe.

"Does Dracula not want his pet anymore?" he snickered. "Let's see if that's true..."


	7. Chapter 7

Sebastian dragged Vincent to the nearest village. He pushed him forward and then let go. Vincent stared, wondering what his plan was, and walked forward. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about finding this place on his own. But he also had no money to work with. He walked around, looking for clues and things about their culture, but he didn't have to worry about that for long. 

All it took was a subtle whisper. Sebastian appeared behind someone and muttered in their ear. "Look at that blue hair. It's unnatural." Just a simple phrase and then he disappeared into the shadows. The humans did the rest for him. The human told the one next to him, and that one told the one next to her. They did this ultimately until the phrase turned into something different. 

"He must be a witch!" one-pointed and shouted at Vincent. He was stunned and paused all movement. He froze, wondering if he heard that right, but it was repeated. 

"His hair is unnatural! He can't be anything but a witch!" another shouted and pointed as well. Then a group surrounded him. "Burn the witch! Burn the witch!" they shouted. 

"This...could be very bad..." Vincent muttered. 

Indeed, it was. They jumped on him and tied him with rope. They gathered wood and made a pole to strap him to. He struggled against his bonds and looked down at the growing pile of sticks. "This is very bad," he muttered again. 

Sebastian watched from a distance, as the smell of humans became too much for him, and smirked. Vincent noticed him in the corner of his eye but couldn't fathom why he would want this to happen. Revenge for Adrian making a fool of him? Maybe there was more to it. 

"I always said I would go out with a bang, but I didn't mean being burned alive," Vincent frowned. He sighed and then stared up at the sky. He couldn't tell if the sun was rising or setting. He just knew he missed the eternal darkness surrounding the castle. He closed his eyes and began to feel the warmth of the flame. An image of Adrian's pained expression crossed his thoughts. 

"Vincent!" he opened his eyes to see Adrian in the distance, getting closer, without a care about the other humans. He didn't ask him why he left, that thought had disappeared. The concern and the frustration with Vincent blew in the wind when he saw the stake. 

The flames grew at a considerable rate. Vincent tried to avoid them and struggle against his bindings. He scooted up the pole as best as he could. Wait. No. This was the best time to leave Adrian behind officially, wasn't it? Maybe if he died...things would be okay. Adrian could mourn him and find a new mate. The vampires would be happy. "Adrian!" Vincent shouted. His eyes produced tears only to be swept away by the wind. "I love you!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and disappeared into the nothingness. A gust of smoke whipped around him as the flames burned brighter and hotter. All Adrian could see was smoke and flame, no body, and assumed the flames were hot enough to burn Vincent away in an instant. 

Grief flooded over him and Sebastian stood behind him. His brain was too broken to put two and two together. He screamed, wailing, and sobbed as he fell to his knees. Sebastian knelt down also, placing his hands on Adrian's shoulders. "Humans are foul," he whispered into his ear, "they should not be forgiven for this." 

Converting his sorrow into rage, Adrian stood up and glared at the village as his eyes twitched. A cool mist soon fell, summoned by him. His glowing eyes scared the humans shitless. "We've summoned the devil because of serving justice to the witch!" they muttered to each other. 

"I shall help you avenge your loved one," Sebastian smirked and threw off his cloak behind him. 

"They will pay," Adrian's eye twitched as his fangs grew in length. "All of them will pay." 

"Humanity is foul," Sebastian's own eyes lit up, satisfied with this reaction. "Why should you stop your rage here?" he grabbed the closest human to him and smashed their head into his knee, killing them in one hit. 

Adrian ignored him, for now, wandering through the village and stabbing people's eyes out. He would sometimes rip gashes with his teeth or run his hand through their torso. He didn't care how they died, only that they did die, and just as Sebastian wished, his vengeance was not quenched with one small village. 

Angel and Grell stared a the scene. The two of them had returned to find an empty castle and followed the scent of blood here. "Do you still believe that our darling boy is innocent?" Angel snapped at Grell.

"I was really hoping he would be," Grell sighed. "What are we to do? The devil's sunk his teeth into him." 

"He won't listen to us in this state..." Angel shook his head. 

"I don't have a love for humans but this is kind of..." Grell moved her foot away from the pool of blood inching closer to her. 

"We know how this ends," Angel gestured to the village. "This ends with Dracula's death and humans getting stronger. We have to stick close to him to stop that from happening." 

"If you insist," Grell reluctantly agreed. 

"Are you saying you want our darling boy to die?" Angel gasped. 

"No, I'm saying that Sebastian might not keep us around long enough to protect him...mourning does dangerous things to the brain, you know?" Grell sighed. 


	8. Chapter 8

Vincent landed on his feet this time. He wobbled a bit but maintained his balance. His clothes were the same. The atmosphere was the same. Did no time pass at all? The sky was dark and there were screams in the distance. He inched closer, trying to avoid being called a witch, he stuck to the shadows. There were flames and hideous creatures attacking humans left and right. 

"Wait a minute..." Vincent squinted, blinked, and then stared again. "Am I still...?" 

A creature inched up behind Vincent and jumped on him, pushing him to the ground. He stared up at it, as it sniffed him head to toe, and ultimately left him alone. It sat next to him, staring at him even though it didn't appear to have eyes. Vincent reached out to touch it. It's boney tail wagging as he did so. 

"Uhm...?" Vincent hated that he found it somewhat cute. Other creatures from the village noticed him and ceased attacking. They inched their way close to Vincent and sat down next to the tame one. Each one waiting to be pet. 

"How odd," a voice spoke and Vincent turned to see a male with pink hair. "To think that there would be another human these pets love..." he took a step closer and stared directly into Vincent's eyes. "Are you a friend? Or a foe?" 

"I'm not quite sure what you mean..." 

"You..." his eyes widened slightly. "You're a traveler, aren't you? You don't seem as if you're in the right era." 

"Can you give me a rundown of the situation currently? I'm not sure what year this is." 

"Dracula ordered the death of the human race about fifty years ago. There are rumors about why but people assume he was fed up with being talked down to by fellow vampires and wanted to do something flashy." 

"Fifty years?" Vincent looked at the creatures. "Are these all over the place then? Do you know Adrian?" 

"The Alucard?" his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm on Dracula's side...if you didn't notice. The Alucard is just a rumor." Oh. Right. Someone who works for Dracula wouldn't know the name of him. Vincent forgot about Adrian Tepes. 

"Dracula, can you take me to him?" Vincent asked. 

"I was going to anyway," he shrugged. "Something as interesting as my pets loving you is something he should know. My name is Blavat," he introduced himself. 

...

The long winding hallways were just as confusing now as they had ever been. Vincent was led to the throne room. Something he had never seen before. Adrian sat on the throne with his head resting on his hand. He leaned to the side, staring down at the vampires trying to communicate with him. He was unamused. His hair slicked back into a braid on one side. His eyes cold, untrusting, devoid of emotion. This was not the same man Vincent knew. 

"I told you to attack from all sides. Why did you refuse to listen?" he spoke coldly to Grell. 

"There was no need to-" 

Angel took a step forward and placed his hands on his hips. "They surrendered, Dracula." 

"If you're not going to listen to me then I don't need you in my court," his eyebrow twitched. Sebastian was the only vampire beside him. The rest stood lower than the throne. Vincent noticed Sebastian's small smirk and watched him whisper something into Adrian's ear. 

"This is not good," Vincent got the gist of the situation. In the fifty years since he was burned at the stake, Sebastian had been manipulating Adrian from the sidelines. 

"Dracula," Blavat smiled and waved, walking without care towards the court of vampires. Each one backed away, angered by the scent, and glared (except one, which Vincent didn't recognize). "I've found an interesting human," he gestured to Vincent. "My pets are fond of him and refused to kill him." 

Adrian stared at Vincent and recognition briefly crossed his eyes. Grell and Angel gasped. The others stared amongst each other, confused, wondering who Vincent was. Sebastian was also taken aback but quickly collected himself. He started his masterful argument. 

"Milord," he began, "that cannot be the same man. It must be an imposter. You and I both watched him die. This has to be a trick." 

Adrian stood up and all of the vampires knelt down, bowing their heads (Blavat did too, because why not). Adrian descended the stairs and walked towards Vincent. He grabbed Vincent's throat and dug his nails into his neck. Vincent's heart felt as if it would pop out of his chest. It had been just moments for him since he'd seen Adrian's hand reaching out for him as he burned at the stake. Now he was standing before him looking at him with such cold eyes. 

There were many questions running through Adrian's mind. How did Vincent survive? Why did he wait so long to show up? Why did it look like he hadn't aged a day? But the more pressing matter at hand was whether or not Vincent was the same Vincent. There was only one way he felt as if he could test that. 

"Confess your feelings about me or I will kill you right here and now," Adrian spoke plainly. No emotion crossed his face or revealed itself in his voice. Grell threatened to break posture and stop the whole scene, but enraging Adrian by breaking court rules wouldn't help the situation. 

Vincent took a deep breath in since Adrian's hand wasn't cutting off his air. He stared into Adrian's eyes and lifted his hands to place them on top of his. "I got lucky this time, being sent only fifty years into the future. But, I'm a time traveler. I get sent through time each time I confess my feelings to someone." Vincent's eyes watered but no tears came out. "I cannot tell you how I feel." 

Adrian released Vincent's throat and walked past him. "He is real but it changes nothing. Take him to the dungeon," Adrian announced, walking out of the throne room. 

Grell immediately stood up and rushed to Vincent. "Are you okay?" She circled around him, searching for scrapes or burns or anything. 

"If he is going to the dungeon...do I have permission to experiment on him?" 

Blavat slapped the vampire on the side of his head. "Bad Othello." 

"Aw," Othello pouted, rubbing his head. Sebastian descended the stairs and grabbed Vincent's arm. 

"What are you doing?" Grell was tempted to grab Vincent's other arm. 

"You heard Milord," Sebastian smiled an empty smile. "He is to go to the dungeon." 

"But-" 

"Do you mean to defy Dracula?" Sebastian's eyes glimmered slightly. 

"It's okay," Vincent nodded. "It's okay," he repeated, this time for himself as he was dragged by Sebastian. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Take off your clothes," Sebastian ordered.

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Sebastian shoved him forward. "You're too smart for a human. Take off your clothes. How am I to know you didn't hide something in case you got trapped?"

Vincent stared, hoping this was a terrible joke, but when Sebastian remained quiet he sighed. Vincent took off his clothes. Sebastian eyed him up and down and then shoved him into a cell, closing it. "Don't expect regular meals. I doubt Milord will let anyone down here outside of himself."

"It's so cold," Vincent's teeth chattered.

"Maybe you should've thought about that before you came back," Sebastian snapped. "Go find some human to love and leave me and my careful plans for world domination alone!"

"Are you sure you should be telling me that?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"I've been at Milord's side for fifty years," Sebastian placed his hand on his chest. "I've crafted his loyalty and formed a beneficial relationship. He will not trust you so easily if you try to whisper words of warning," Sebastian's eyes filled with a tiny flame of rage. "Don't even attempt it or I shall murder you myself this time instead of leaving it to the hands of filthy humans." Sebastian locked the cell and turned on his heel to leave. He returned shortly after with a bucket of water and threw it at Vincent. "You smell of soot and dirt," he sneered and walked out officially this time.

"I wonder if he is secretly an omega," Vincent's teeth chattered. "He seems like he is compensating for something." The terrible thought crossed his mind that Sebastian was Adrian's mate. He forced it aside and rubbed his arms up and down, trying to generate heat.

Hours passed like this. Vincent grew colder and colder by the minute. He wondered if his lips were turning blue. He shook his head. He can't die like this! That's so boring. The door opened to the dungeon room and Adrian walked through. He glided across the way and stopped in front of Vincent's cell. He took off his cloak and threw it between the bars. Vincent reached for it and wrapped it around him. It was warm even though Adrian's skin was still cold. Was it still cold?

"For the first ten years, I avenged you. For the next ten years, I mourned you. For the last thirty years, I've been building an empire instead of loving you." He paused and his eyes softened for the first time since Vincent saw him again. "But, for the past 1, 577, 836, 800 seconds, not a moment has gone by where I'm free from thinking about you," he gritted his teeth and folded his hand into a fist.

"I-"

"No," Adrian raised his hand. "I need time to process this. I thought you were _dead_. It's been moments for you but years for me. Don't speak." Then, he turned to leave just as he came.

"So, does this mean he doesn't have a mate?" Vincent snuggled up into the cloak and smelled it. "I'm going to hope this means he doesn't have a mate."

...

"Hello?" a mop of fluffy hair was the first thing Vincent saw while opening his eyes. Thick rounded glasses and a smirk. This vampire was lying down on the ground as Vincent was.

"Are you supposed to be down here?" Vincent wrapped the cloak more tightly around him. He clung to it, as if it would change the inevitable fact his relationship to Adrian was tarnished.

"I think you should thank me first," Othello grinned, holding something that looked like a pill in between his fingers. "I have all the nutrients you need right here. You've gone without food for quite some time, right? Sebastian certainly wouldn't feed you and Dracula is off doing who knows what moping about."

"You're going to feed me?" Vincent stared at the pill. It must be something like a vitamin. No pill capsule. Just something ground tightly together.

"Not exactly," Othello continued smiling. "I'm going to invest in you, so to speak. If I keep you well-nourished, will you give me information?"

"Information on what?"

"On your travels, of course. You know things an ordinary human would not know," a shadow cast over his face, or maybe it was just Vincent was noticing for the first time that he had heavy bags under his eyes. If there was anything close to the perfect image of a 'mad scientist' this was what Vincent would assume to be that.

"I shall try my best," Vincent agreed, reaching out his hand for the pill. It felt cold in the air. He didn't want to hold it out that long. The vampire grabbed his arm, pulling it forward, and Vincent's head was slammed into the bar of his cell. He stared at his arm, cutting gashes into it with his nails, from Vincent's elbow to his wrist, and then licked Vincent's arm.

"Hm, not very sweet after all," his eyes were amused as he continued to lick the blood. "You smell sweet but there is a darkness in your blood. No, a sadness? What is this flavor?" His eyes only became more and more curious, wanting the answer, but not finding it. Vincent winced but didn't panic. He could tell these wounds looked bad but were more of scratches.

"Your heart isn't beating faster. Are you not afraid of me?" He moved his tongue down to Vincent's hand, licking his palm and lifting his gaze to make eye contact.

"There is nothing that could possibly scare me more than the thought that _he_ would never accept me again."

"Hm? A romantic..." The vampire placed the pill into Vincent's palm and released his arm. "My name is Othello. I look forward to working with you." He stood up at last and exited. Vincent stared at his arm and then at the pill. What were the chances this was actually poison? Did it matter at this point? He closed his eyes and sighed.


	10. Chapter 10

Vincent's smell surrounded the doorway. Adrian stood before it, wondering if he would visit him today, but the scent caught him off guard. Why was it so strong? He covered his nose with his hand and opened the door. It only got worse. He got closer and closer to the cell but the scent was overpowering. The sweetness of blood. Other humans smelled so foul but once they bleed it was a different story entirely. Vincent already smelled sweet from the start. Was he bleeding now? 

Adrian stopped before the cell and looked at the mass of black cloth lying on the ground. Vincent poked his head out, too pale for a human, and his eyes lit up slightly. "Adrian," he smiled, weakly. He shouldn't be this weak. Adrian hadn't left him in here longer than a human could handle. Why did he look this exhausted? 

Vincent sat up and swayed from side to side slightly. He repositioned the cloak to cover more of himself but Adrian could see the numerous scratches on his torso and body. His legs and his arms, covered with nail marks. 

There was a mixture of thoughts running through his mind but he couldn't sort through them all. The rage he felt for someone not following his orders combined with the jealousy of knowing one of them drank Vincent's blood. On top of it all his intense desire to drink it too. His teeth grew subconsciously. The sweetness. Too overpowering. The sweetness. That red liquid. His mouth salivated behind his hand, so he took a step back. 

Or, he thought he did. 

Instead, he found himself inside the cell, having bent the bars to let himself in, and with Vincent pushed up against the wall with his teeth grazing his neck. This was not at all what he had planned on doing. He stared at the skin, waiting to be broken by him this time, and forced his nails into the wall of the cell, trying very hard not to bite. Biting was intimate. It required consent. It required consent. He told himself this over and over, moving his hand down the wall, scratching it with his nails. 

"If you bite me, what will happen?" Vincent asked, breaking the daze Adrian found himself in. 

"I will become even more addicted to you than I already am," Adrian admitted. 

"Is that something you don't want?" Vincent could hear the noise of Adrian's nails scratching the wall. They stopped when he asked this question. 

"I cannot become addicted to something I know will leave me again." 

"I'm sorry," Vincent reached up to placed his hand on top of Adrian's head. He patted it, playing with his hair, trying to soothe him in some way. "I'm really sorry," he apologized again, voice cracking and eyes threatening to cry. "But I would feel so much safer knowing you were addicted to me," he confessed, grabbing a handful of Adrian's hair and pulling his face back. He kissed him knowing full and well there was blood on his lips from a cut. 

Adrian tasted it. He tasted the most delicious blood he'd ever tasted in his long vampire life. He wanted more even though it was just a drop. He grabbed the base of Vincent's head and pushed him closer, searching for something he would never find in that mouth of his. Vincent struggled to breathe, not expecting Adrian to react in this way. But then again, could he expect anything else of someone that had waited fifty years to be with someone he thought was dead? 

He pulled himself away from Vincent's mouth, but not by much, moving his lips down his chin to his neck. "Bite me," Vincent whispered. Adrian's eyes glowed as his teeth broke skin. He sunk his fangs into this neck and blood escaped, trailing down Vincent's chest. It was a sensation foreign to him. He stared up at the ceiling of the cell, filled with a warmth unlike any other, almost as if being bitten was more of a drug for him than for the vampire. His eyes glazed over slightly and his hands clung to Adrian's shirt. A noise escaped his lips but whether or not it was a moan his ears were not able to discern. 

Adrian pulled his fangs out but they grazed Vincent still as he moved his face down his torso to his chest. A small bleeding scratch as he went. He stopped in the center, over Vincent's heart, and kissed his chest there. "Are you still going to refuse to be my mate?" he asked, lips gently brushing against Vincent's skin as he spoke. 

"Are you still willing to accept me?" 

Adrian moved his hand to Vincent's bite mark and wet his fingers with Vincent's blood. He drew a symbol on Vincent's chest. An intricate design that Vincent couldn't quite discern the shape of. He just knew it was very pleasing to look at. When Adrian finished with this design, he bit down in the center of it. That same warm feeling washed over Vincent, stronger than the first time. He grabbed Adrian's shoulders tightly. The blood seeped into his skin, creating a permanent mark on his chest. 

"You're mine now," Adrian stared into Vincent's eyes, pulling him in. He lost himself in those eyes. He leaned in, kissing Adrian again, but bit his tongue. The curiosity of knowing what a vampire's blood tasted like. Fair is fair. Adrian winced, trying to pull away, but Vincent refused, finding a little bit of strength to keep Adrian's head in place with his hand. It wasn't sweet. It wasn't bitter. The taste was unique, unable to be described in any way. He bit down more, wanting more, and hardly realized his own teeth began to grow. His scratches healed and his strength returned. The sweet human scent he put out changed slightly, but it was still sweet all the same. Adrian dropped to his knees as Vincent cupped his face and pulled away. His new teeth poking out and resting on top of his lower lip. 

"Bold of you to assume you don't belong to me," his lips curved upward slightly as he ran his tongue over them. A strong scent similar to that of an alpha-vampire emerged. Sweet but poisonous. That was the only way Adrian could think to describe it. Was he transforming completely or was he going to remain partially human? Was it even possible for two alphas to be mated? 

"You're asking too many questions," Vincent pushed his fingers into Adrian's mouth and grabbed his tongue. He soaked his fingers in the blood and knelt down in front of Adrian. He pushed him onto his back and pulled his pants down, drawing on instinct alone a symbol on his inner thigh. 

"W-what?!" Adrian, completely bewildered, tried to sit up but one look from Vincent froze his entire being. He felt like a pathetic excuse for an alpha, let alone a vampire overlord taking over all of humanity. Vincent leaned down and bit the center of his unique design. The same effect took place. The blood sank into Adrian's skin, making the mark permanent. It was official now. The two were bonded to each other as mates. 

"Why did you put it there?!" Adrian scooted away, pulling his pants up, slightly embarrassed. 

"Because if for some reason I find myself traveling again," Vincent moved his thumb up to his mouth, pressing it against the side of his new tooth to see if it was permanent, "I want whoever you attempt to sleep with to know you're already taken." 

"Why would I-" 

Vincent hovered over Adrian and grabbed his chin, looking at him skeptically, "It's been fifty years and you really haven't been with anyone?" 

"I've had one potential mate meeting but it was only to get Grell off of my back. I told you...you're the only one that has invaded my thoughts all of these years." 

"You did say tha-" Vincent plopped down on top of Adrian, having fallen asleep, and Adrian lay there confused. He pushed Vincent off gently and wrapped him in his cloak. He then carried him to his room. Some of his fellow vampires stared at him in the halls as he walked but he said nothing. 

He placed Vincent on his bed. There was a knock on his door. "Enter," he said, turning to see who it was. Sebastian entered and slightly bowed. The door closed behind him. He noticed the bed and his eyes widened slightly. 

"Milord, have you-" 

Before he could ask the question he felt a hand on his neck and his back against the door. He stared into enraged eyes. "I thought I told you that no one was to enter that dungeon except me." 

"You did," Sebastian squeaked out, grabbing Adrian's hands on his throat. He didn't attempt to move them, he just held them, fear slightly revealing itself in his eyes. No vampire could escape the instinctive response towards Dracula. 

"Do you mean to tell me that you betrayed my orders? Or did someone else sneak in there without your knowledge? Were you slacking on the job, Sebastian?" his glare intensified as did his aura and a painfully dangerous scent filled the room. "What were you going to do if he died under your watch? Tell me, Sebastian, how would you have recommended I kill you?" he spat, nails digging into Sebastian's neck. 

"It must've been Othello, Milord, he is the only one without an ounce of self-preservation." Sebastian coughed, unable to handle the aura, and Adrian relaxed a tad. He threw Sebastian across the room and then walked over to him, watching him shake on the floor, fearing for his life. 

"It would do well for you if you remembered your place," Adrian spoke coldly, placing his shoe in front of Sebastian's face. He scrambled to his knees and grabbed Adrian's ankle, bowing before him, face hovering over his shoe. He gritted his teeth, hating every minute of it, but knew his fate was about to get much worse considering Vincent would not keep his mouth shut forever. Especially now that he was Adrian's official mate. 

"I apologize, Milord, I will be more careful in the future." 

"Leave," he ordered. Sebastian hurried to his feet and left. Adrian returned to the bed and moved the cloak to see Vincent's sleeping face. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. 

"I hope you will not start to hate the vampire I've become," he whispered.


	11. Chapter 11

Vincent walked the long hallway to the throneroom. His shoes clacked along the tiles. He opened the giant doors with both hands, pushing one with each and entering. For some reason the basics of vampire culture swarmed within his mind. A mate was an equal. But, a mate to the Dracula was not. Standard hierarchical rules applied.

He didn't give a fuck about them.

This wasn't a standard relationship. Vincent was a human turned in some way. He was also a human and a mate. This made him lesser in two different ways. He glided into the room and turned every vampire's head. The meeting had already started. He was fashionably late on purpose. There were whispers among the vampires about him. Small rumors. Large rumors. Confusion about what he was doing here out of the cell. Questions about why he was a mate, if he was a mate, and why Dracula forgave him so easily after that other display of malice.

Sebastian stood next to the throne, as usual. Vincent didn't allow his disgust to show on his face. He would earn Adrian's full and complete trust soon. He would squander that position Sebastian clung to. But first, he had to make his rank clear.

"How odd," Vincent smiled a bit and addressed the vampires. "I seem to recall a specific form of greeting when Dracula enters the room," his smile remained. "None of you are doing a single thing."

"Does he not know-?" one whispered to another.

"He is a pathetically weak human. Of course he doesn't kno-"

Vincent's eyes wandered to the vampires whispering. "Dear me," his smile quickly faded and a coldness rested in his eyes. "I think you seem to have a misunderstanding," he started walking forward towards the throne, emitting a cool mist-like aura similar to what Adrian's was. It smelled sweeter, but was crueler. As he passed a row of standing vampires they kneeled instinctively, no matter how strong or pureblooded they seemed to be. No vampire could raise their head to see his face. Only Sebastian and Adrian saw, but it was Sebastian that would have this image haunt him day and night.

Vincent stood in front of Sebastian, already kneeling before even coming into contact with the aura, and grabbed his chin, lifting it up to stare at his eyes. "I am not a wife. I am not a human anymore either. I am a mate. An equal," his eyes glimmered. "Which means you will treat me as you treat Dracula." Although his words were loud enough for all vampires, Sebastian sensed they were for him especially. Vincent smiled, aura dwindling away in an instant. He moved Adrian's legs closer together and sat on the throne right next to him.

"Now, where were we?"

Adrian stared at Vincent sitting next to him but said nothing. He closed his eyes for a moment and was unable to suppress the urge to smirk. The vampires scrambled to their feet one by one and hesitantly raised their questions.

"What are we going to do about this village?" a vampire pointed to the map.

"Haven't we already concluded to massacre it? We have plenty of humans to use for food."

"There is no need to kill them anymore," Angel cleared his throat. "We should try to change our tactics or we will create a reason for the humans to get stronger. Someone might come to attack us."

"Let them come. No human can take us!"

Vincent watched as the vampires argued amongst themselves. This could hardly be called a meeting. He let out a small sigh and shook his head. "You seem disappointed," Adrian spoke a tad quietly.

"There is no reason for you to fight anymore, is there? You wanted revenge, right?" Vincent replied, equally as quiet. "I'm not dead. So revenge is pointless now."

"There are...reasons I cannot cease..." Adrian looked to the side, almost apolitically. He wondered if Vincent would hold it against him for all of the humans killed.

"Your empire will fall if you continue to be a tyrant," Vincent placed his hand on his chin. "That's just the recipe. You must take hold, cause willing surrender, and then leave them to do as they were before...except under your name now."

"What?" Adrian blinked a few times.

"It's a sure way to buy time."

"Time for what?"

"Time for an excuse to stop, I suppose," Vincent grabbed Adrian's hand and looked into his eyes. "Unless you really do want to run an empire with me for the rest of your Dracula days," he snickered.

"Maybe," Adrian refused to blush. He turned his attention back to the arguing lot of vampires.

"Silence," he said, loud enough to be firm. They shut up and turned to him. He stood up in unison with Vincent, perfect sync. "There is no need to be ruthless with them. We've given them enough reason to fear us for a lifetime. Our takeover strategies will now be given by Angel," he gestured to him.

"But-" one vampire attempted to dispute.

"Do you question the decision of Dracula?" Vincent stared carefully into the vampire's eyes.

"No."

"Good," Vincent smiled. Adrian and Vincent then walked hand in hand out of the throneroom. The doors closed with a loud thud behind them.


	12. Chapter 12

"Othello." Adrian closed the door behind him.

"Oh?" Othello turned in his chair to face Adrian. He had heavy bags under his eyes and looked restless. His fingers were tapping heavily on the desk beside him as his eyes darted around the room. Something was bothering him. Something bad.

"Is it true that you have defied my orders and were the one to enter the dungeon?" Adrian crossed his arms and stared carefully.

Othello cackled. "Is that what he told you?"

"What?"

"Is that what he told you? Your faithful dog?" Othello snickered and crossed his arms. He dug his nails into them. "I entered the dungeon but Sebastian told me I could. He said I was to be in charge of feeding the poor thing."

Adrian didn't respond. He could never read Othello's intentions. "Why are you so restless?" he asked, staring at Othello's bouncing knee.

"Blood...lust," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Bloodlust," Othello spoke up a bit. "I've got a case of bloodlust..."

"Bloodlust? But that's not-" Adrian's eyes narrowed and he grabbed Othello's neck in his hand. He peered down at him and glared viciously. "You drank his blood?"

"Unfortunately, only once," Othello forced out. He didn't fight back against Adrian. He just allowed it to happen. If Dracula wanted him dead, that was that. "I licked him out of curiosity...to know why he smelled sweet...and now..."

"Bloodlust," Adrian's eyes widened and he let go of Othello. Othello brought his hand up to his mouth and bit down. His eyes darted around the room more crazed than before.

"Stop," Adrian said, reaching out to separate Othello's hand from his mouth. "Stop," he repeated.

"I need...blood..."

"Bloodlust shouldn't be real. It's just a myth...so why?" Adrian grabbed Othello's hand and forced it away from his mouth.

"Vincent is..." Othello's eye twitched. "Vincent is not an average human. His blood has aged like fine wine. It smells sweet because it isn't young..."

"Then, time travel has done that to him?"

"Possibly, but he is dangerous."

"My mate is not dangerous."

"Yes," Othello bit his nails as his eye twitched more. "Yes, he is. His scent of sweetness hasn't changed even though he has gained vampire qualities. What if his personality changes too? What if you've turned him into something even more dangerous than he already is? If he can cause bloodlust then..."

"My mate is not dangerous," Adrian glared down at Othello.

"I'm so thirsty...so thirsty..."

"Uhm..." Blavat poked his head out from behind a curtain in the corner. "Would it help if I offered my blood?"

"What?" Othello glanced over but continued biting his nails.

"I'm technically human...I might not be as fancy as Vincent but I still produce blood on the daily." Blavat stepped out from behind the curtain and walked towards Othello. He didn't smell as bad as other humans but he also didn't smell as good as Vincent. It was a smell somewhat in the middle.

"I would advise against that," Adrian raised his hand. "You might drink too much if you start. Besides, drinking blood is too intimate for individuals that barely know each other."

"You sound like an old man," Othello snickered. "Casual drinks exist, you know, but the drinking too much blood is a viable argument."

The sweet scent of Vincent's blood drew nearer and nearer. The door opened and Vincent stepped through. Othello jumped up and ran into the corner, trying very hard not to pounce on Adrian's newfound mate.

"What are you doing here?" Adrian asked, wondering why Vincent had ended up in this place.

"I sensed you were here," Vincent admitted, then looked towards Othello, "and also that I was needed.

"He is not going to drink your blood," Adrian's nails grew in length as his eyebrow twitched with slight rage.

"Is that so?" Vincent smirked. "I had no intention of offering it."

"Oh," Adrian visibly relaxed.

"I just wished to remove the effects," Vincent walked towards Othello and placed his hand on his forehead. It only took a moment or two before Othello calmed. Twitching nerves erased completely.

"That is a nasty ability," Othello frowned.

"It's only because you licked me. Apparently, now that I've changed, my blood has too, which means anyone that has-" Vincent paused. Sebastian had licked his blood fifty years ago. Was that too long? Would it cause the same effects as it had in Othello? Vincent placed his hand over his mouth and smirked slightly. This could be very interesting.

"I don't like the look in your eyes," Othello muttered.

"I wouldn't like the look in my eyes either, if I were you," Vincent's eyes lit up slightly.

"What are you plotting?" Adrian poked Vincent's cheek.

"Am I plotting something?"

"You certainly have the look about you of a human that is plotting something."

"Ah, but am I a human?" Vincent raised his finger and pointed at Adrian, then poked his nose.

"They really like to touch each other's faces," Blavat whispered to Othello. Othello replied to him by poking one of the star-like hair clips.

"I suppose poking things is entertaining."

Blavat frowned slightly and returned the favor by poking the center of Othello's glasses and pushing them up on the bridge of his nose. The two stared at each other intently, eyeing each other up and down, and then ultimately began something of a poking war.

"Those two are a bit odd, aren't they?" Adrian looked to Vincent.

"I find them quite endearing."


	13. Chapter 13

Sebastian placed his hand on his forehead and winced. His teeth grew slightly but he couldn't fathom the reason for it. He sighed and reached for the bottle on the shelf. Human blood should do the trick, it always did, but for some reason when he opened it the smell repulsed him. Why? He swirled the bottle around and sniffed it. His entire body cringed.

The door opened and Vincent stood there, smiling a bit. "Sebastian."

"Vincent," Sebastian spat back.

"Are you not going to drink?" he gestured to the bottle.

"I've suddenly lost my appetite," Sebastian closed the bottle and placed it back onto the shelf. He crossed his arms and stared at Vincent, waiting for the reason for this visit.

"I see," Vincent placed his hand on his chin and closed his eyes for a minute or two. He wondered if Sebastian's bloodlust really was delayed because of the time. Maybe it wasn't going to work after all. Should he sneak some of his blood into Sebastian's blood bottles and wait? No, that would take too long. He had to get rid of the pest as soon as he could. Well, maybe not. He had the rest of eternity, probably.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?" Sebastian frowned.

"Am I not allowed to pay my mate's most trusted advisor a visit from time to time?" Vincent smiled warmly, although his heart wasn't in it.

Sebastian lurched forward and grabbed Vincent's neck. He threw him into the wall and sneered in his face. "I don't like you. I never will like you. I don't know why you think you can walk into here without me wanting to rip your throat out. Don't get in my way. I don't care if you are his mate." He pressed his nails into Vincent's neck but ultimately decided against leaving wounds.

"Sebastian," Vincent grabbed Sebastian's hand and pulled it away from his neck. His eyes filled with rage as he clenched the hand tightly, threatening to break bones. "Let me tell you this one piece of advice," he hissed as Sebastian cried out in pain, falling to his knees. "Do. Not. Underestimate. Me." Vincent stared into those red eyes with disdain. He released his grip on Sebastian's hand and then readjusted his shirt collar. He wiped the dirt that may or may not have been on his vest and then plastered a smile on his face.

"I haven't been around for the past fifty years but that also means what you did to me is fresh in my mind," Vincent folded his hands and leaned down close to Sebastian's face. His smile faded. "I will be watching you closely, every moment, waiting for your true colors to show before a crowd, and then when they do," Vincent grabbed Sebastian's chin and forced his face up, to stare at his eyes, "I will personally send you on a one way trip to hell where you belong."

Sebastian scoffed, "What makes you think you won't be there to join me?"

"You best wish that I'm not there to join you," Vincent released Sebastian's chin but only after he threw him into the ground. "Because if I am there it will only be to torture you further."

The door opened and Adrian stood. He stared at Vincent and then at Sebastian (who had stood up at just the right time). He could smell the lingering scent of fear in the room but was unsure about who was emitting it. "Sebastian."

"Yes, Milord?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, Milord."

Vincent, extremely curious about the task, forced himself to leave the room. He couldn't stand the sight of the fifty-year relationship those two had built up. Vincent gritted his teeth and walked down the hallway.

"My, my, you don't look very pleased," Blavat poked his head out of a doorway and waved.

"Blavat?" Vincent blinked and stopped in his tracks.

"The one and the same," he grinned. "Would you like to talk about your troubles?"

"Uhm, well-"

"Oh, that's too bad," Blavat grabbed Vincent's wrist and dragged him into the room. "You don't really have a choice in the matter," he snickered. Numerous monsters crowded around Vincent and sat, staring up at him, waiting to be treated with love. "I'm sure these guys will be able to make you feel better," Blavat beamed, quite certain of himself. Vincent stared at the swarm of creatures and try as he might, he couldn't be disgusted with them. The feeling was even weirder now that he was a vampire of sorts. HIs like for them was somewhat stronger.

Vincent knelt down and started patting heads. Each one wagged its tail and begged for more after he switched to another. "Well?" Blavat smiled eagerly, awaiting Vincent's thoughts on his coping mechanism scheme.

"I do admit I feel a bit better."

"Wonderful."

"What made you think that I wasn't pleased?" Vincent asked out of curiosity.

"I have a way with these sorts of things," Blavat answered without really answering. "It's easier to tell with you since you used to be human."

"That's very odd."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think anyone has ever told me that I'm easy to read." Vincent was slightly offended by the notion.

"Well, you are, just a bit," Blavat smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

Vincent woke up in the bed with his arm outstretched. The faint sensation of flames against his skin. He thought he'd been over this. He took a deep breath in and sat up, cupping his face in his hands. 

"What's wrong?" Adrian asked, sitting up as well. He wrapped his arms around Vincent and pushed him into his chest. 

"I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you at the moment, so let's leave that for another time, shall we?" Vincent nuzzled his face into Adrian's chest and inhaled his scent. Nothing quite like the smell of cold dead body and old castle. Very nice combination on a loved one. 

"Wouldn't believe you?" Adrian frowned, a bit offended. 

"You don't entirely believe that I'm really me, do you? Don't try to hide it..." Vincent sighed. "A lot of time has passed and you have your doubts even though you made me your mate." 

"That's not..." 

"You wouldn't have made it this far if you hadn't been a cautious and doubting individual," Vincent chuckled. "Don't worry about it for now, you have other things to focus on." 

"But..." 

"Please," Vincent clutched the thin fabric of Adrian's clothing. "Just leave it alone for now." 

"Will you at least tell me about your dream?" 

"I was being burned and..." Vincent's mind trailed off, thinking about it. 

"And?" 

"And the face in the flames haunts me," Vincent admitted. Adrian hugged Vincent tighter. He didn't ask any further questions but that didn't mean he didn't want to. 

"You're right," Adrian began. "I am cautious. I don't know who I can trust right now but there is one thing you are wrong about," Adrian kissed Vincent's head. "You are the only one I can trust. For some reason, it has always been like that. When you're in the room I trust you as naturally as breathing." 

Vincent smiled slightly. "I'm honored." 

...

"Lord Dracula!" Angel ran through the hallways searching. Adrian turned the corner and Angel nearly bumped into him. 

"Angel? Why do you look so terrified?" Adrian asked, clutching Angel's shoulders to keep him steady. 

"There is a human warrior. Unlike anything we've ever seen before. He is nearly a night away!" 

"A human?" Adrian suppressed the urge to chuckle. "What about him is a threat?" 

"He grew up studying in the Belmont's library, Dracula!" Angel snapped, not enjoying the fact he was being taken lightly. "He knows everything there is to know about the art of killing our kind!" 

"Belmont? That's just-" 

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, my lord," Angel gritted his teeth. "But please don't take the rumors of our kind to be mere myths. There is a reason we continue to keep those rumors around. Don't get conceited." And with that, Angel turned on his heel and left. 

"A vampire hunter?" Vincent poked his head out from behind Adrian's back. "That could be very interesting." 

"Why do you sound so excited?" 

"Because!" Vincent clapped his hands together. "Perhaps we finally have the perfect excuse to end this whole rampage empire business, hm?" he smiled up at Adrian. "No need for formalities if you just get defeated fair and square." 

"You want my death?" Adrian's eyebrows furrowed. 

"No, no, but if the humans think you're dead you'll have the perfect reason not to fight anymore," Vincent chuckled. 

"That can't be the only reason you're excited about this." 

"Oh? How'd you know?" 

"You've got that gleam in your eyes again," Adrian poked the bridge of Vincent's nose. Vincent smiled and grabbed his hand in both of his. 

"Well, if there is a human that knows everything there is to know about vampires, maybe he knows what I've become? Because, even though you are a delightful vampire," Vincent laughed. "You don't seem to know the ins and outs of your own kind very well. Especially not how to associate with them." 

"Othello's hypothesis wasn't enough for you? You're actually interested in talking to this human?" Adrian sighed and rubbed his temple with his hand. "You're quite the handful, you know." 

"Of course," Vincent clung to Adrian's arm. "I've always been that though, haven't I?" Vincent stopped for a moment and looked around. Sebastian still wasn't back yet. He would've sensed him in some way. What type of mission did Adrian send him on. He opened his mouth to ask but then tightly closed it. 

"You want to ask, don't you?" Adrian grabbed Vincent's arm and dragged him into the nearest room, slamming him up against the door after he closed it. 

"To what are you referring to, exactly?" Vincent looked up underneath the fringe into those beautiful eyes. 

"You want to know, don't you?" Adrian brought his mouth close to Vincent's ear and nibbled on it slightly. 

"That's not..." Vincent squirmed a bit. "Very fair of you," he squeaked. 

"Trust goes two ways," Adrian picked Vincent up and wrapped his legs around him as he leaned him up against the door. 

"This doesn't exactly seem like a conversation about trust..." Vincent glanced down. Adrian moved his lips to Vincent's neck and licked his skin. 

"The thing you don't want to tell me..." 

"Are you saying I have to tell you in order to learn about your secret Sebastian mission?" Vincent laughed lightly. "Do you always interrogate people like this?" Adrian bit down on Vincent's neck, causing him to gasp. His teeth didn't sink in very far, nor did he drink that much blood, but Vincent couldn't stop the noise from escaping him. It was a strange feeling. 

"Sebastian..." Vincent muttered. 

Adrian's fangs dripped with Vincent's blood. He looked at his face, examing everything he could about it, but not revealing anything on his own. He'd gotten good at that over the years, apparently. 

"Sebastian was the one who tried to kill me..." Vincent said, realizing Adrian would only keep pestering him about it unless he said something. 

There was nothing and then there wasn't just nothing anymore. Adrian's face seemed to become three shades paler. He dropped Vincent and covered his mouth in his hands, trying to keep down something that was threatening to come up. Images flashed through his mind throughout the years. All of the signs that he had ignored. Vincent hugged his knees on the ground, watching Adrian's reaction. He wasn't sure what to do and he certainly couldn't tell what Adrian would do next. Rage? Sadness? Those seemed too simple compared to whatever it was that he was experiencing. 

"Ah, so that's it," Adrian laughed lightly and held the sides of his head. "That's what's been bothering me this entire time..." 

"Adrian?" 

"It didn't make sense. None of it did. Him being there and supporting me when just a few days prior he was trying to attack me. But, I couldn't see it because I wanted to be mad. I wanted to force my rage somewhere and...all those humans..." Adrian stared at Vincent as tears escaped his eyes. "Are you sure you're not lying?" he sobbed. 

"Adrian..." Vincent scooted over and hugged him. He ran his hands through his hair and attempted to soothe him. "It's a very nice performance you're putting on for my sake but that's all this is, isn't it? You've figured this out along the way..." 

"Performance?" Adrian nuzzled Vincent's chest. "You don't believe me?" 

"I believe that you most likely acted in this way when you found out but that was a very long time ago, wasn't it?" 

Adrian rested his ear against Vincent's chest, listening to his soft heartbeat that was way slower than the average human's. "You don't need to hide things from me even if you think it's for my sake. I don't want to lose you again and I would certainly never hurt you." 

Vincent chuckled, "Certainly never kill me, you mean, but the nature of a vampire relationship is to bite and bite back, isn't it?" 

"You know what I mean," Adrian puffed out his cheeks and looked up at Vincent. 

"So, what is this mission you sent the traitor on?" 

"I sent him away, expecting him to do what he is so good at." 

"And that is?" 

"Creating an army and failing a fight miserably. Except, we'll lose." 

"We are not losing to him," Vincent frowned. 

"No, he is going to die," Adrian spoke coldly. "But we will lose to the human just like you said." 

"So we have had the same idea then?" 

"I wonder if it's a trait of mates?" Adrian chuckled. 


	15. Chapter 15

"This wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I thought of a spooky vampire castle," the human walked through the front doors. He stared at the elaborate display of paintings and other knickknacks. "This really is a building full of dead bodies and shit, huh?" he scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets and forging onward. 

"You've got quite the personality, don't you?" Vincent spoke from directly behind him and the human jumped out of his skin and flipped around. 

"What that fuck?" he snapped and fell over on his ass. "Who the hell are you?" 

"It's quite rude to walk into someone's home uninvited and then ask who lives there," Vincent chuckled. "Why don't you introduce yourself first, Mr. Vampire Slayer," Vincent's eyes gleamed a tad. 

"Diedrich." 

"Oh?" Vincent offered his hand to help him up. "My name is Vincent." 

"Your hand is warm," Diedrich's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you not a vampire?" 

"I'm something of the sort." 

"What?" Diedrich snatched his hand away. 

"I'm Dracula's mate," Vincent laughed a tad at Diedrich's shock. 

"Dracula doesn't have...that's the whole reason he has been..." 

"Yes, well, you see, I haven't exactly been around for the last fifty years because of an _incident_ ," Vincent crossed his arms and sighed. "And because I haven't been around this war got started which is why I need you." 

"Me?" Diedrich scoffed. "You do know what I do, don't you? I'm here to kill you all." 

"Oh please," Vincent laughed heartily. "Do you really think you can kill us all on your own? Don't be silly." 

"Are you underestimating me?" Diedrich glared. 

"You know, I've been saying this a lot lately and I'm not entirely sure what it is about my personality but," Vincent's eyes narrowed and Diedrich dropped to his knees without another word. Vincent towered over him and stared with a cold ferocity. "You should not be underestimating me," his fangs poked out slightly from his mouth as he sneered. 

"Auras shouldn't work on humans," Diedrich muttered to himself and looked down, "so why am I on the ground?" 

"That is the question, isn't it?" Vincent smiled and offered his hand once again to help Diedrich up. 

"You said you were Dracula's mate?" 

"Mhmm." 

"What exactly is your plan...to you know...stop the war caused on your behalf?" 

"Oh," Vincent clapped his hands together. "Quite simple really. I need you to kill me." 

...

"So, what exactly is your master plan to stop this war?" Grell walked a little bit faster to catch up with Adrian. 

"Quite simple actually, I just need to die," Adrian replied. 

"Excuse me?" Grell stopped in her tracks and grabbed Adrian's arm. "We did not do all of this shit for the past way too long just for you to go and die!" 

"I'm not actually going to die, I'm just going to put on a bit of a show and then the vampires can go back into hiding," Adrian laughed. 

"I'm not sure if that is better or worse..." 

"Humans will be very pleased with themselves after I'm dead and then everything will basically just be as it was before. They'll be stupid and start their own wars against each other but we will be left out of it," Adrian shrugged. 

"Sound logic," Grell rolled her eyes. 

"I suppose another Dracula will have to be chosen. I was quite the disappointment, wasn't I?" Adrian sighed. 

"That isn't how it works and you know it," Grell frowned. "You just have to make up for it for the next one-hundred years or so that's all," she slapped him on the back and grinned. 

"Oh joy, just what I've always wanted to do." 

"Maybe you should've thought about this a bit more before falling for a human, hm?" 

"Oh, like you're so much better?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grell blushed. "I didn't...what are you talking about?" 

"I've seen your letters, Grell," Adrian smiled. "You've got someone of your own out there, don't you?" 

"He isn't human," Grell huffed, crossing her arms. 

"But he does exist, doesn't he?"

"I don't think I would exactly start a war if he died though..."

"No, just slaughter a few thousand people by yourself." 

"Okay, you've got me there. I probably would..." 

"Exactly." 

...

"Here is where you will be staying until the fateful day," Vincent gestured to the room. Diedrich entered the room and stared. 

"You want me to stay in this room until you've figured out how to plan the last battle for this war?" Diedrich squinted. 

"Yes, pretty much," Vincent laughed. 

"And you just think everything is going to go your way?" Diedrich frowned. 

"It usually does, most of the time, yes," Vincent smiled and patted Diedrich's shoulder. "Don't you trust me?" 

"Why would I trust a vampire I just met? Why would I trust a vampire?" 

"You should widen your horizons a little bit," Vincent shrugged. Diedrich grabbed his arms and slammed him up against the wall. Vincent looked him in the eyes and blinked a few times, wondering if he was really this stupid. 

"I'm a vampire hunter." 

"I'm partially a vampire." 

"Why should I do what you want?" 

"Because," Vincent grabbed Diedrich's wrists on his shoulders and dug his nails into his skin. His eye twitched and his fangs grew. "Not only do you not have a choice," Vincent moved his nails down Diedrich's arms and scratched him, "but if you did anything to me Dracula would personally have your head on a stick and feed your dick to the pigs." 

"Why the pigs? Don't you have your own army of mutilated creatures?" 

"Don't be daft," Vincent scoffed. "They're much too good for the likes of you." Vincent pushed Diedrich away and pulled his rolled-up sleeves down. The door opened and Dracula stood. The image was enough for Diedrich to piece together the rumors. 

"Is this him?" Adrian eyed Diedrich up and down and stared with a face that was very disapproving. 

"This is him," Vincent gestured. 

"Why do I smell blood?" Adrian crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his sleeve. 

"We had a bit of a disagreement," Vincent explained. 

"A disagreement?" Adrian stared at Diedrich. 

"A disagreement," Vincent repeated and grabbed Adrian's shoulders, turning him around and showing him out. "Nothing more." 

"Will he do what he is supposed to?" Adrian turned his head to look over his shoulder. 

"Of course." 

"I will no-" Diedrich began but Vincent shot him a glare. 

"Of course he will," Vincent repeated. 


	16. Chapter 16

"So the day has finally arrived, has it?" Adrian stared at Vincent and then looked out at the field filled with soldiers on both sides. Vampires and creatures on one and then humans on the other. It looked like a miserable excuse for a chess match. Was Adrian the King or the Queen? Othello certainly wasn't a Knight.

"Diedrich is going to talk to them and then we shall do what used to be done in the older days," Vincent smiled.

"How old are 'older days' to you?" Adrian chuckled.

"That's a good point," Vincent pondered. "I'm not sure what time period it was when they would choose a champion from either side. I also don't know how long it will take for word to get out that the ruler of the vampires has died."

"I'm not going to die though, that's part of the act," Adrian sighed.

"You're not going to die?" Vincent stared. "I'm not going to die," he corrected and raised a finger.

"I'm Dracula, I'm the one not dying," Adrian crossed his arms.

"I'm the one going to 'die' because if something happens I can back out of it very quickly," Vincent frowned.

"No," Adrian stiffened. "No," he insisted.

"What are you going on about?" Vincent's eyebrows furrowed. "It makes sense for me to-"

"No," Adrian repeated.

"Whyever not?" Vincent huffed.

"I'm not waiting another fifty years, Vincent," Adrian's eyes flared.

"That is no reason for you to die!" Vincent snapped.

"I'm not going to-"

Vincent's eyes flared this time and his eyelid twitched. He grabbed Adrian's ear and pulled his head down. "Have you forgotten about your little friend?" Vincent glanced over to Angel and Grell and they walked over. Vincent pushed Adrian into them after stripping him of his cloak.

"What are you doing?!" Adrian snapped, but Grell and Angel both grabbed an arm. Then other members of the vampire council held Adrian back as well. He could use his authority as Dracula to stop this, but some part of him knew that wouldn't change the result.

"Are you going to calm down?" Grell asked.

"Let go of me," Adrian shook them off. Vincent was already walking towards the center of the space between the armies. What was done was done. Diedrich walked towards him.

"Is there really a reason for you to be the one to die?" Diedrich raised an eyebrow. "You're the one that caused this war, why should you die? Won't that just cause him to continue it?"

"You know nothing of love, my dear," Vincent tapped Diedrich's cheek with his hand. "I'm doing this so he won't die," Vincent lifted the collar of the cloak so that it would act as a hood and cover his hair.

"What does that mean?" Diedrich understood even less what Vincent was trying to do.

"It means this-" Vincent jumped forward and grabbed Diedrich's weapon in his hands. He pulled Diedrich close to him with it and motioned as if he was stabbing his side. The weapon gently grazed him. Vincent pushed Diedrich away with enough force to push him back towards the humans. Vincent grabbed his side. He dug his fingers into his wound to make it bleed more then stared up at the sky. A swarm of crows appeared and flocked around him. The crows were numerous enough to form a wall between Vincent and everything else. They flew in a steady pattern. Vincent stared at them, unable to make an escape, not that he would've wanted to regardless.

A small collection of the crows escaped the wall of them and came together to form Sebastian. He stared at Vincent and although he tried to keep his eyes from darting around, his bloodlust was kicking in.

"Sebastian."

"Vincent."

Vincent held his hand over his side and stared at it. He probably damaged it too much. "What are you doing here?" he smiled.

"Don't act as though you don't already know," Sebastian snapped. "I'm going to kill you," he jumped forward and grabbed Vincent's neck in his hands.

"If you kill me you won't be able to drink my blood," Vincent chuckled.

"Release me," Sebastian's voice escalated in intensity. "Release me!"

"Or what, you'll kill me again?"

"Sebastian," Adrian's voice resounded in Sebastian's ears. He let go of Vincent and held them.

"It's so loud. It's so loud," he repeated over and over. "So very loud," his eyes cried red tears. Adrian walked through the crows and his hair levitated around him along with the edges of his flowy garments. His eyes radiated an energy making them even brighter as that familiar cool mist swarmed. The humans scrambled among themselves to get back further from the vampire overlord.

"I should've killed you and taken your place when I had the chance," Sebastian snapped and then faced Vincent. "Why didn't you stay dead?!"

Adrian grabbed Sebastian's face and threw him into the ground. He hovered over his body as a small crater formed around them with the more pressure he applied.

"Just kill me, coward!" Sebastian wrapped his hands around Adrian's arm and dug his nails in.

"Killing you would be too quick," Adrian seethed.

"Ad...rian..." Vincent began to fall over but Adrian jumped up and grabbed him.

"Vincent?!"

"There was poison...on that sword..." he coughed.

"That shouldn't-"

"He is a vampire killer for a reason..." Vincent smiled.

While Adrian was preoccupied with Vincent, Sebastian grabbed the sword out of Diedrich's hand and stabbed Adrian from behind. The sword went straight through him and stabbed Vincent's chest as well.

"Adrian?" The two fell to the ground, Vincent now holding onto Adrian. "Adrian, stay with me," Vincent lightly slapped Adrian's cheeks. "You're a vampire leader you can't die like this..."

"I'm...a Vlad..." Adrian chuckled but then coughed. "It's kind of my destiny."

"I don't care about your destiny!" Vincent sobbed.

"That wasn't your ordinary sword, Vincent," Adrian stared into Vincent's eyes. "It's a special type of poison...handcrafted for me..."

"Please don't die," Vincent held onto Adrian tighter.

"Vincent, I-" Adrian used the last bit of his strength to push Vincent against the ground and shield him from another one of Sebastian's attacks. He fell on top of him, blood draining into him as Vincent's arms were still clinging to his ever-growing-colder body.

"Adrian?" Vincent's hands shook. "Adrian...please don't..." but there was no sound from him any longer. "Adrian...I love you," he sobbed as he felt his own body disappear.

"No!" he clung to him. "No! At least let me die with him!" he cursed whatever or whomever it was that sent him traveling through time. "Let me die with him!" but his body was already mostly gone, about to be whisked away into another time.


End file.
